Unwanted hat-trick for Hughes

The feeling is becoming strangely and unfortunately familiar for Phil Hughes. For the fifth time in his still formative Test career the 24-year-old has been shuffled out of the Australian side.

Twice before he has been genuinely dropped - coincidentally before the third Test on the last tour of England in 2009, and after an awful run two years ago where New Zealand’s wily Chris Martin had his number. On two other occasions he came in and out as a one-Test replacement.

Phil Hughes (left) with the man who replaced him in the Australian team, David Warner. Photo: Getty Images

In times gone by, when his technique was a mess and his confidence shot, his flicking has been fully warranted. But it was difficult not to feel sympathy for the left-hander as he watched on while the Australian team for Old Trafford warmed up on the ground before play on Thursday.

Left out to accommodate the return of David Warner, Hughes’ omission was one of three changes to an Australian side trailing 2-0, with Mitchell Starc preferred to replace the injured James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon coming back in for the teenager Ashton Agar, left out two matches after his thrilling debut. Australian captain Michael Clarke won the toss and opted, unsurprisingly, to bat.

Steve Smith successfully overcame back stiffness that had prompted him to miss training on Tuesday, and it was fitting that the Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris was given a round of applause in the huddle on the field before play after getting the batsman in shape in take his place.

There was less joy for Hughes, who can feel somewhat unlucky at missing out given he is the highest first-class run scorer on the tour, averaging 62. He has made only two runs in his last three Test innings but his gutsy and unbeaten 81 in the first Test at Trent Bridge - the pair put on a world record 10th wicket stand - was one of the most character revealing of his career.

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Hughes has also been done no favours in England by being moved around the the batting order, used in every position in the top six on the tour. Moved out of the Australian team five times now since his debut in 2009 he at least still has some way, though, to matching the records of Englishmen Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hick, who were dropped 12 and 11 times respectively.

Warner was picked to bat at No.6, after returning on Monday from his suspension and then a run-making mission with Australia A in South Africa.

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‘‘He’s got 190-odd runs under his belt, which is obviously a positive considering our batters haven’t made many runs so far on this tour,’’ Clarke said.

‘‘I think Davey made it very clear at the time that he was extremely apologetic for what occurred, and he knows what the expectations are as an Australian cricketer.

‘‘I’m very confident he’s learned from what’s happened in the past. He’s trying to put that behind him and move forward and I think he’s doing a really good job at this stage.’’

Coach Darren Lehmann said: ‘‘Davey averages 40 in Test cricket so that got him across the line after he got a big hundred (for Australia A) in South Africa. He gives us the X-factor. It’s very unlucky for Phillip Hughes, who has done well on the tour without getting the hundreds that would have cemented his spot, and that’s always a tough call as a selection panel.’’

On replacing Agar with Lyon, Lehmann said: ‘‘We looked at two spinners but conditions weren’t really going to suit that and we thought Nathan was bowling a little bit better than Ashton. He’s a good young kid and we love him. He’s had a busy seven weeks, he’s played six first-class games, a couple of Test matches. He’s a kid learning his trade and we’re going to keep supporting him in that.’’

England named an unchanged side from the line-up that thrashed Australia by 347 runs at Lord’s.